Abstract
BackgroundBartonella bacteria have been associated with an increasingly wide range of human and animal diseases. These emerging pathogens have been identified as being globally dispersed. Ticks and small rodents are known hosts of Bartonella and play a significant role in the preservation and circulation of Bartonella in nature. This study investigated the occurrence of hoist spp. in ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) and plateau pikas (Ochotona curzoniae) in Shiqu County, which is located on the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau in China. Shiqu County is spread over approximately 26,000 km2, with an average altitude of above 4200 m and a vast area of pastureland.ResultsA total of 818 ticks (Dermacentor everestianus, 79.0%, 646/818; Haemaphysalis qinghaiensis, 21.0%, 172/818) were collected from yaks in 4 villages of Shiqu County. Only Bartonella melophagi was detected in tick samples, with a total prevalence of 30.1% (246/818). The infection rates of B. melophagi in ticks from Arizha, Maga, Derongma, and Changxgma were 4.8, 76.8, 12.5, and 18.0%, respectively. The infection rate of B. melophagi in Maga was higher (p < 0.01) than those in other villages. Regarding plateau pikas, the total infection rate of Bartonella spp. was 21.7% (62/286), with 16.7% (12/72), 30.9% (25/81), 13.8% (9/65), and 23.5% (16/68) in Arizha, Maga, Derongma, and Changxgma, respectively. Finally, B. queenslandensis and B. grahamii were detected in plateau pika. No significant difference was observed (p > 0.05) in the infection rates between these study sites.ConclusionTo date, only D. everestianus and H. qinghaiensis were found in Shiqu County with high infection of Bartonella spp. in the ticks and plateau pika. The threats of Bartonella species to public health should be closely monitored.
Highlights
Bartonella bacteria have been associated with an increasingly wide range of human and animal diseases
To date, only D. everestianus and H. qinghaiensis were found in Shiqu County with high infection of Bartonella spp. in the ticks and plateau pika
Ticks were first screened for Bartonella infection by PCR targeting the Citrate synthase-encoding gene (gltA) gene, and gltA-positive samples were screened for Beta subunit of RNA polymerase (rpoB); a total prevalence of 30.1% (246/818, positive for both gltA and rpoB genes) was observed
Summary
Bartonella bacteria have been associated with an increasingly wide range of human and animal diseases. The Bartonella genus currently includes 36 named and 17 Candidatus species [1], which can be found in a wide range of mammalian hosts and arthropod vectors. Some of these species are zoonotic, including B. alsatica, B. bacilliformis, B. elizabethae, B. henselae, B. koehlerae, B. melophagi, B. quintana, B. rochalimae, B. tamiae, B. vinsonii subsp. Ticks and small rodents are known as vectors and reservoir hosts of Bartonella, respectively They play an essential role in the preservation and movement of Bartonella in nature within arthropod-mammal systems. Shiqu County has an area of approximately 26,000 km, an average altitude of above 4200 m and a vast area of pastureland on the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. This study aims to prove the presence of Bartonella spp. in plateau pikas and ticks and provide preliminary results for establishing prevention and control measures for this tick-borne disease
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